Knitting-machine.



No. 713,709. f Patented'nov. ls, |902. w. STAFFORD @L n. c. HoLT.KNITTINGMCHINE.

(Appixuation flied Mar, l0, 1902.) (No lloal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Inventar@ Patenten mw. ls, |902.

ya. mmm.

W. STAFFORD R. C. HULT.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Appuion med um. xo, 1902:.)

,2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

l Wnesses.'

ma Ncnms PETERS ca. mom-urna. wAsmNaToN, u4 c,

rtrrnn Sterns Parham rricnm WALTER STAFFORD-AND ROBERT C. HOLT, OFLITTLEFALLS, NEW YORK.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. l?'13,'709, datedNovember 18, 1902.

Application iiled March l0, 1902. Serial No. 97,654. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER STAFFORD and ROBERT O. HOLT, both citizensof the United States, residing at Littlefalls, in the county of Herkimerand State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Knitting-Machines; and we do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

Our invention relates to circular-knitting machines ot' that class inwhich stripes or other designs are formed in the fabric; and its objectis to provide an attachment which will increase the range of thepattern-controller and render the operation of the machine moreefficient.

With this object in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction of parts and their arrangement and aggroupment in operativecombination, as will be hereinafter fully described, so as todistinguish our improvement from other inventions in the art, and thenparticularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

Ve have fully and clearly illustrated the improvement in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andwherein- Figure l is a side elevation of a knittingcylinder with ourimprovement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation and partly insection, the section being taken on the line a a". of Fig. l. Fig. 3 isa top plan view with the parts broken away to show the patterncontrollerband and its pinion. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on a Vertical planparallel to Fig. 1 through the band H.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the bed-plate, in which ismounted the cylinder B, carrying the needles ZJ and having the dependingrack b, which meshes with the driving-pinion C. On the bottom of thebed-plate is secured an annular gib c to hold the cylinder in place, andon the cylinder above the bed-plate is a driving-gear D, which drivesthe driving-pinion for the pattern-controller.

On the bed-plate is secured a bracket E, carrying the driving mechanismfor the pattern-controller band. This driving mechanism consists of avertical pattern-controller shaft F, having a pinionfon its lower enddriven by the gear D on the cylinder. The bracket is formed withforwardly-projecting lugs f', between which is mounted apatterncontroller gear G, which is keyed on the shaft F and which mesheswith the teeth h, formed in one edge of the pattern-controller band H.The pattern-controller band H is endless and supported on two idlepulleys K and K', adjustably mounted on the ends of a rod le, which issupported by and longitudinally adjustable on the bracket E.

One of the idle pulleys on the rod c is higher than the other, so thatthe endless controllerband will be in the same vertical plane as theneedle-cylinder, but arranged at an angle to the horizontal plane of thesame, and the band is provided on its edge with notches L, spaced apartthe required distance to form projections I, adapted to engage theneedle butts of certain needles to elevate them, while those needleswhich pass the edge of the band between'the projections are not engagedthereby and not elevated.

It will be seen that the band is removable, so that bands with notchesat different distances apart may be employed to form different designs.

On the bed-plate contiguous to the periphery of the cylinder in front ofthe bracket E are removable guide-plates M, which maintain thepattern-controllerband in operative position and Vwhich may be removedto permit the introduction of different bands.

The operation is as follows: When the cylinder is revolved by means ofthe driving-pinion O, the gear D revolves the pinionfand which in turntransmits its motion to the pattern-controller band H by means of theintermediate pattern-controller gear G, the relative dimensions of thegears D, j", and Gr being such as to move the pattern-controller band ata speed equal to the circumferential speed of the cylinder. The machinehas generally two different feeds of yarn, and when a projection on thepattern-controller band engages under a butt of a needle it willgradually lift the same until the rotation of the cylinder has carriedthe needle out of the path of the band, when the needle will engage ontothe cam situated adjacent to the band. The yarn taken up by this raisedneedle is IOO knit in the fabric to produce a stripe or design therein,while the needles which pass the band opposite the notches are notraised to engage the said cam and for that reason do not knit at all onthis feed of the machine.

By means of the longitudinal movement of the pattern-controller band theneedles are in engagement therewith for a longer period and are raisedhigher than with machines in which the pattern-controller rotates. Thusthe range of the patterncontroller is increased.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is- 1. An attachmentfor circular-knitting machines consisting of a bracket mounted on thebed-plate of the knitting-machine a longitudinally-adj ustable rodcarried by the bracket and having pulleys on the ends, apatterncontroller baud onthe pulleys disposed at an angle to ahorizontal plane to the knittingcylinder, said bracket having a shaftprovided with a gear to engage the pattern-controller and a pinion onits ends driven from the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. An attachment for circular-knitting machines consisting of apattern-controller band ymovable longitudinally at an angle to thehorizontal plane of the knitting-cylinder and provided with projectionson its edge adapted to engage under the butts of the needles incombination with means for driving the said patterncontroller band,substantially as described.

3. An attachment for circular-knitting machines comprising apattern-controller consisting of an endless vband having notches formedon its edges and movable longitudinally at an angle to the horizontalplane of the knitting-cylinder and means whereby the band is driven bythe cylinder, substantially as described.

4. An attachment for circular-knitting machines comprising apattern-controller consisting of an endless band having projectionsadapted to engage the needle-butts of the machine, said band beingmovable longitudinally at an angle to the horizontal plane of theknittingcylinder,in combination with means for driving said band,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WALTER STAFFORD. ROBERT C. HOLT. Witnesses:

C. J. LUNDsTRoM, R. HORWALD.

